Vehicle signal



Feb. 25, Y* 1 93o.

G. R. HOOKER ET AL VEHI CLE S IGNAL Filed May 5, 1929 MEIN. At!

v l l NVENTORS G. R fico/Per JjWZZer K Illlllll Ill/111111111` I .2,5 use. and service. y Y p )Othercobj ects will be 1n part obvious from Patented Feb.. 25, 1.930

ITD *STATES PATENTgoFfFrC i vdrinnen RIIOOKER AND ,cIIARLEsa MILLER, oi@1 BUFFALO, NEW YORK i v VEHICLE SIGNAL Application med Maya, 1,929.` seriainofseoaei.

This invention relates to improvements in direction indicators for vehicles. y l n ,n

v A main object oftheinventionis to provide anfimproved indicator-by which :the 5 driver ofa vehicle is enabled to warn front and' rear traiiicv of an intended turn. Anfurther object is toprovide a. vehicle signal l which is automatically'illuminated on actua,- tion of an` indicator and thereby advanta- 1o geous for bothday and night driving. A .fur-

ther object is to provide a vehicle direction indicator in the nature of a pivoted arm which ismanually operabley by the driver.y Y,A further `,Objectis to provide; an'improved mount- 1? ing for the pivoted arm which ismanually operable bythe driver.` A'Y furtherobject is toVA provide an improved mounting f for the pivotedV arm ofthe abovedescribed character.

. Avfurther object is to provide' an improved 2,0 means of actuating the direction indicator.

A vfurther object is to provide a simple, durable `and rugged direction indicator, which is inexpensive in manufacture and assembly, andgwhichvefiiciently meetsall conditions of the annexed drawing` and in partindicated fromthe following analysis of the invention, in whichreference ismade to the accompany- @v0 ing drawing illustrating an embodimentv of ourvidea.V v

In this drawingj Fig. 1 is asideV elevation ofthe indicator casing mounted on the left side fender of a 3 5 vehicle, and with the: indicator arm in raisedAv position,.the actuating means being diagrammatically illustrated; Y l l n Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the indicatorrshown in Figl 1' with certain parts 'ilo'.broken away;` y f c Fig.'3 is a longitudinal verticaljfsectionof Y the indicator with the indicator ar'm' shown in retracted or down position; v c' A c Fig. 4 is anfelevation, withcertain parts f1.5 broken away, of a modified yform o'findicator armactuating means.,l Referring to the drawings, the indicator lisillustrated, `,for-convenience in description,

asmountedon either the front o rV rear fender.v .5 0 .1o Ofihieaside of mayenne,- inbfeing nn- Itwill benndersto'od that-thelainn derstood, however, that theindicator may be' arranged on the side of the vehicle body or'on the top frame. The numeral 1l designates a substantially rectangular casing comprisingsidewalls 12, 13, respectively, end wall ,14, 5 5 A and top 15, suitably mounted upon a base. "N One Side of thecasing isleft open, to permit c movement therethru of an indicator arm, to be hereinafter described.r rllhe casing 11 is preferably cast from aluminum and its outerVV 50. surface polished or nickel-plated to provide W' an attractive appearance.l f,

Referring to Fig..2,"we1providewithin the casing llja false wall 16 extending' between' the Walls 12, 13, andV spaced from the side wall 1 4, to form ,therewith'a compartment.oY Similarly, there is spaced from the top'. 15 ofl the casing a false wall or .partition 17.,.providi`ng an open space communicating with the verti cal compartment'formedby the false-wall. 16.

Within the casing, wev mount-for swinging v movement an indicating arm, generally in the form ofl an arrow, and preferablymade of a cast three-sided body portion20 anda cover plate 21, the said body portion being cast l? hollow. The body portlon isprovided with suitable lips 22, into which fastening screws 23 passing thru the cover plate 21 are thread-v ed.v Upon removal of the cover plate 21, ac-

cess to the indicator arm is permitted.r yThe Y back wall of the bodyportion'20, andthe o plate 21 are provided with cut-out portions 25 which are closed by glass panels 26 suitably colored, and, if Ndesired, bearing suitable legends such as Left, Right, or Stop7-.

The said` panels26 may becontrastingly'roolored to conform to local 'traiiicregulationsp Interior of the indicatorarrn, a transverse partition wall 28 is arranged to carry a socket 30 in which alight bulb 31may be insertedas by'meansy of the usual bayonet connection. A wire 32'is permanently'connecty ed to the plug 30 and toacontact29 disposed on the exterior surface of they indicator arm.

A lead wire 33-from the batteryis run `thru .9.,

-the'spaces formed betweentheend walls 4114 y 16,and topw'alls 15,17,y and isuelectrically .connected to aresilientterminal't disposed Y on the false Wallvl'.l v

tending downwardly thru an upset channel 37V formed in the side 13 of the casing.

In order to provide a frictionless and free swinging movement for the indicator arm, we provide a special mounting as more clearly shown in Fig. 3. The end wall of the body po-rtion 2() is provided with a cast hub 40, which is apertured and threaded to receive a threaded portion'41 ofan axle or bearing shaft 42. A fixed partition wall 43extend's in spaced relation to the cover plate 21, the partition wall and the cover plate being each provided with a suitable aperture thru which the other end of axle 42 projects. A holding nut 45 is threaded on to the other end of the axle 42 and bears against the partition Wall 48, thereby securing the axle to the indicator arm in fixed relation. It will be understood that the axle 42 is of a length to be received between the parallel side walls 12, 13'of the casing 11, the space between. such parallel walls being hereinafter termed the width of the casing and upon assembly of the cover plate 21 on the body portion of the arm, there is provided an arm unit including'the axle 42, which unit may be bodily positioned within the casing 11 thru the open side thereof. Each of the side walls 12, 13 of the casing 11 is provided with an axially aligned journal opening 50, and when the axle 42 is positioned in registry therewith, bearing bushings 51 are inserted into said journal openings. End screws 52 provided with machined shoulders 58 and constituting bearing studs pass thru bushings 51 and terminate in threaded portions 54 which are threaded into the endsof the axle 42. The said bushings 51 thus forming bearings on whichthe shoulders 53 of the end screws 52, and consequently the axle, are freely rotatable.

The indicator arm is manually operablel by an actuator, preferably positioned onthe dash board of the vehicle, the said actuatorpcomprising a plate 55 thru Which extends a piv oted blade 56 in the form of a bell crank lever. One arm of the lever is provided with an operating knob 57, and the other end thereof is secured to a. cable 58 extending thru suitable projecting tubes 60V and passing Vinto the space formed between false wall 16 'and side wall 14 of casing 11. Adjacent thetop portion thereof, the false wall 16 is provided with a slot 61 thru which the cable passes and is thereafter suitably secured vto the indicator arm, as by an eye 62 thereof. It will be understood that a down actuation of the knob 57 exerts a tension on the cable 58 to actuate the indicator arm about its pivotal mounting. rIwo such knobs 57 are provided on the panel 55, one to control an indicator positioned on either the front or rear fender of a vehicle atone side thereof, and the other toV control a like indicator mounted at the other side of the vehicle. vIt will be understood that front andrear indicators positioned in pairs upon both sides of the car may be simultaneously actuated by a single knob 57 Without mate rial modification, and such arrangement is within the scope of the present invention.

As previously noted, the bulb 31 is illuminated Vas the indicator arm israised to its position shown in Fig. 2. Such illumination may be effected during dayand night time, or maybe limited only to night driving, the

lamp circuit to be controlled by a switch positioned on the vehicle dash (not shown).

The above described construction of casing with false side and top Walls houses and substantially conceals the actuatingcable and `lead wire 33 to aid in the appearance of the device. The said cable and wire being substantially enclosed are also protected and remam water-proof, and this arrangement further elfectively eliminates any possibility of the wire or cable becoming twisted about the indicator arm during its actuation.

' In Fig. 4 there is illustrated a modified vform of indicator arm actuation, in which the arm is mounted in the casing for swingmg movement generally in the manner above described. A false wall 7 0 is provided with an elongated slot 71, thru which extends an arm 72 carrying at its free end a roller 73 which engages the under surface of the v indicator arm. The arm extends from a vertically arranged block 74 confined within the space formed between the walls 14, 70, and is restrained against vpulling therefrom by any suitable means such as lugs 75 engaging the inner face of the wall 70. The operating cable operates in a tube or channel 77 opening into the compartment and is secured to an eye 76 formed at the top of the block 74. As the cable is tensioned upon pushing down the operating knob 57, the block VV74 and arm 72 are raised, causing the roller 73 to cam against the indicator arm, thereby to force the same outwardly and about its pivotal mounting. Anyrapproved spring means 8O to bring the indicator arm back to its initial position may be provided, the weight of the arm aiding said spring in causing the arm to assume and thereafter maintain its retracted position.

It will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other `advantageous results attained. As many changes could be made in carrying out the above invention, without departing from the scope thereof, itis intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting Y Y i sense.

Y said casinghaving an opening opposite a We claim: Y 1. Av vehicle signal comprising a .casing having side walls with bearing apertures and an open side, a hollow indicator'arm in side wall of said casing, a bearing shaft, means for rigidly securing said shaft in the arm with one end extending thru said open- *I ing, including a threaded vaperture thru the side of thev arm opposite the opening, a removable cover for said opening having Van aperture permitting passage of said shaft, and screw-threaded bearing studs passing thru said bearingV apertures into screwthreaded openings in the ends of the bearing shaft.y n v 2.,A vehicle signal comprising ay casing l having'side walls with bearing apertures an an open side, a hollow indicator arm 1n said bearing shaft. v

casing having an opening opposite a side wall of said casing, a bearing shaft of a length to be received between the side walls of the casing, means for rigidly securing said shaft in the arm with one end extending .thruv said opening, including a threaded aperture thru'the side of the arm opposite the opening, a removable cover `for said opening having an vaperture permitting passage of said shaft, the indicator arm, the shaft `and the, cover, upon assembly, being insertable and l removable as a unit thru the open side of the casing, and screw-threaded bearing studs passing thru said bearing .apertures into screw-threaded openings in the ends ofthe 3. A vehicle slgnal comprising a casing having side walls, an end wall and a top, the

casing being open at one side, anindicatorl Y arm mounted in the casing for Swingin movement thru the open side, a false wal having an aperture therein and disposed adjacent said end wall and spaced therefrom vto provide a compartment, a false wall adjacent the top and spaced therefromV to provide a compartment opening into thek first named compartment, a terminal disposedon f the last named .false wall, a lead wire 'extending thru said compartments and electrically connectedV to said terminal, anda contact carried by said arm kand engaging said ter- 

